I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

When Lin Ye returned to Qi Chu, it was already dawn.

The subway area is still closed off. The engineering team plans to reopen the abandoned construction passage during the day to bring out Zhao Anhe's remains.

As for why someone locked the evacuation door more than 20 years ago, the matter has been handed over to the police and relevant departments for investigation.

Lin Ye didn't get involved.

That's not his job.

All he wants to do right now is sleep.

As soon as they entered the underground containment area, they heard the All Souls Scripture calling out from inside the storage box.

"The one surnamed Lin."

Lin Ye didn't stop walking.

"We'll talk about it after I wake up."

"Why has the spiritual energy around you changed again?"

Lin Ye stopped.

He turned to look at the sealed box.

"You can sense it?"

"nonsense."

The voice of all spirits emanated from within.

"The path has widened, and the atmosphere has become heavier. What did you eat while you were out?"

Lin Ye remained silent for two seconds.

"Stone."

The box fell silent.

"...In your era, cultivation involves eating stones?"

"Natural essence".

"Say it again?"

Lin Ye briefly recounted what happened at the bottom of Well B9.

It is said that the spirit well overflowed, the spirit marrow was discovered, the pressure was released by breaking it open, and a small fragment entered the body.

He didn't mention the subway.

After listening, Wanling remained silent for a long time.

Lin Ye was getting a little annoyed waiting.

"Why are you talking nonsense? Did your computer crash?"

Do you know what the "Well Spirit Essence" was in ancient times?

"valuable?"

"valuable?"

Wan Ling's voice rose in volume.

"That thing is so coveted, even among the major sects!"

"oh."

"You're the only one?"

"You've already eaten it, why would I spit it out on you?"

Wanling choked for a moment.

"What a waste of resources."

"The effect is quite good."

"Of course."

Wanling snorted.

"That kind of thing is the essence of heaven and earth's spiritual energy accumulated over many years. Your broken path has only been open for a few days, so it's perfect for you."

Lin Ye leaned against the wall.

"I can hear much better now than before."

How fine?

"In the past, when I listened to a door, I always thought there was something wrong inside."

"And now?"

"I can roughly tell where the force is applied, where there is no force, and where it is most likely to break."

Wanling didn't respond immediately.

"besides?"

"Spiritual energy is the same."

Lin Ye recalled the two doors in the subway station.

"Whether the flow is smooth, where there are pauses, where it gets stuck... is much clearer than before."

This time, all spirits remained silent for an even longer period.

Lin Ye frowned.

"What's wrong with you now?"

Why didn't you say so before?

"Not before."

"What I'm asking is, why have you never told me how you use your ears these past few times you've gone out?"

Lin Ye was delighted.

"Do I have to come back and write you a report after I go on a mission?"

"How can I teach you if you don't tell me?"

"Aren't you an ancient, powerful being?"

Even the most powerful beings cannot read minds!

Lin Ye nodded.

That makes sense.

All spirits can only sense the state of his spiritual energy when he gets close.

As for what he did outside, what he encountered, and how he fought, it doesn't say, and it really doesn't know.

Lin Ye walked up to the sealed box and knocked twice.

"That's perfect."

"What?"

"Let's talk again."

"What are we talking about now?"

"You used to give me the cultivation technique like squeezing toothpaste, little by little."

Wanling sneered.

"Give it to you for free?"

"I didn't let you give it away for nothing."

Lin Ye extended his finger.

"Spiritual energy, materials, news from the outside world. What I should give you, I will."

"Don't wait until I'm about to suffer losses before you throw away the things you know that suit me."

"I want a system."

There was no sound from the box.

After a while, Wanling slowly asked:

"What makes you think I would agree?"

"Because the stronger I am, the more useful I am to you."

Lin Ye spoke very frankly.

"Haven't you always thought that way?"

The sounds from inside the storage box suddenly stopped.

Lin Ye continued:

"I don't care what you're up to."

"At least for now, our goals are roughly the same."

"I have to live, and become stronger."

"You wouldn't want me to go out one day and get slapped to death."

Wanling did not deny it.

After a while, it chuckled.

"You've gotten a bit more clever lately."

"So, will you agree or not?"

"Okay, but I have to add conditions."

"explain."

"The supply of high-purity spiritual energy has been doubled."

"You can apply, but approval is not guaranteed."

"I need to know about any unusual developments happening outside."

"I'll tell you what I can."

"besides."

Why are you so fussy?

"You're the one who came to beg me!"

"Okay, okay, you tell me."

Wanling paused for a moment.

"Tell me how you're doing when you get back."

Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.

"Trying to learn my skills?"

"I stole you?"

Wan Ling laughed.

"With your skills, if it weren't for those ears, you wouldn't have been able to even get into the outer courtyard of the sect back in our day."

"So, are you going to listen or not?"

"listen."

Lin Ye smiled too.

"If you had said that earlier, it would have been fine."

The deal was renegotiated.

Wanling didn't rush to throw out the new technique. Instead, he had Lin Ye recount the few times he had actually used the Spirit Hearing and Sound Collapse techniques recently.

Lin Ye only says what's useful.

Listen for the blockage of spiritual energy at the bottom of the well.

When building a test wall, locate the internal stress relief point.

In the recently concluded subway mission, we listened to the steel bolts and welds through the iron gate.

After Wanling heard this, his first words were:

"You've been looking for a crack."

"What seam?"

"The gap between forces."

Lin Ye didn't say anything.

Wanling continued:

"The circulation of spiritual energy is not a single, continuous process."

"Neither magic nor sorcery."

"When a person throws a punch, they need to gather their strength; when walking, they need to shift their center of gravity; and the flow of spiritual energy from the dantian to the meridians also has a sequence."

"As long as there is a front and a back, there will be gaps."

Lin Ye's expression slowly changed.

"You mean, I can listen to this?"

"You're already listening."

Wanling's tone was surprisingly free of sarcasm.

"You just don't know what it is."

"In ancient times, some people called it the air gap, while others called it the spirit gap."

"Whatever you want."

Lin Ye thought for a moment.

"Listen to the gaps."

"It sounds awful."

"For my own use."

"Then why are you asking me?"

Lin Ye ignored it.

He raised his hand and looked at the aura circulation pump that was running in the corner.

Inside the machine, spiritual energy flowed in concentric circles.

Previously, he could only tell the overall speed.

Now that I've calmed down, there are clearly many more details inside.

Before each pressurization.

There will always be a very short meal.

So short they're practically nonexistent.

But it does exist.

Lin Ye stared for a few seconds.

"I heard you."

Wanling scoffed.

"This is just the beginning."

"Real people are far more complex than machines."

"Especially monks."

"Wait until you can hear the pauses when someone else is practicing their technique before you say you've mastered it."

Lin Ye withdrew his hand.

"Then teach me."

"Can."

"What's the price?"

"Let's not talk about price yet."

Wanling's smile had a sinister undertone.

"When you go out and get beaten up next time, you'll come back and know what you're lacking."

Lin Ye's face darkened.

You're still squeezing out the toothpaste.

"This is called individualized instruction."

"Did you learn a new word?"

"I just heard it from the researcher."

Lin Ye was too lazy to argue with it.

Just then, my phone vibrated twice.

It was sent by Lu Zhixia.

"I recently took on an appraisal from a private collector; the item is quite interesting."

A photo followed.

An ancient mirror.

The frame has been repaired and the brass surface has been repolished, so it doesn't look particularly special.

Lin Ye replied.

"Don't stay up too late."

Lu Zhixia quickly sent:

"Know."

Add one more sentence.

"You go to sleep first."

Lin Ye had just put his phone away when his work terminal rang.

Southeast District.

New anomaly.

The location is an old residential building.

The person who reported the incident was the local police station.

The forest is connected.

Officer He's voice clearly indicated he was still half asleep.

Is it convenient for you?

"What is it?"

"Something's not right about this building."

"What's wrong?"

"Everyone in the building comes down for a walk together in the middle of the night."

Lin Ye rubbed his temples.

"It's just a walk, isn't that normal?"

"The problem is that none of them are awake."

Lin Ye stopped.

Officer He lowered his voice.

"I just watched the surveillance footage."

"More than thirty households."

"The elderly and children are all included."

"Close your eyes and line up."

"We didn't bump into a single one."

Lin Ye glanced at the newly resealed Wanling Scripture.

A voice immediately came from inside the box.

"Go."

"Remember to tell me when you get back."

Lin Ye picked up his coat.

"You're quite proactive right now."

Wanling chuckled.

"I need to see what you're missing next time."